When we think of cruise ships in the corporate meeting and event planning world, we usually think of business meetings at sea, conferences held while traveling up the coast or incentive cruises that stop in multiple ports. However, we often overlook the many benefits of using cruise ships for stationary events – as floating hotels, which allows you to take advantage of simple, convenient event planning and reap the money-saving benefits of hosting your event on a ship without ever leaving port.

Whether you are looking for accommodations for out of town participants, a large venue for a conference or trade show, or several smaller meeting spaces for an executive retreat, employee training or award ceremony, you may want to consider a cruise ship venue. Just as you would when planning an event at sea, this allows you to take advantage of one upfront cost and easy planning for catering, equipment, décor, meeting spaces and, if needed, accommodation. Hosting a meeting or event on a docked cruise ship can be particularly cost-effective if your company or client is headquartered in a port city. Attendees can then be responsible for their own transportation to and from the venue and the need for arranging lodgings will be minimal.

Hosting your next meeting or event on a cruise ship in port will add a unique appeal for attendees and can result in significant cost savings for your client or company.

Finding the perfect destination and venue for your next business meeting may be as simple as checking out the many options available in Salt Lake City, Utah. While this small city is perhaps best known for its ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is headquartered there, it is also known as a center for outdoor adventure and is overflowing with historical and cultural attractions. With smaller town charm, an easy to maneuver downtown area, nearby ski areas, a major airport and numerous major hotels, Salt Lake City, Utah has much to offer to meeting planners and participants.

For an executive retreat or small meeting, planners might want to consider accommodation options like the Haxton Manor, a renovated historic home that is now a bed and breakfast with seven comfortable guest rooms. Guests will also enjoy a living room with a fireplace and comfy overstuffed chairs in the Boar’s Head Pub Room. Nearby meeting facilities can be reserved for planning sessions and meetings, while attendees will enjoy the many attractions in the area.

For larger corporate meetings, planners might opt for one of the major hotel chains with properties in Salt Lake City, such as the Radisson, Marriott or Sheraton. Each of these accommodation options also has meeting facilities, or meeting planners could change things up a bit by reserving a theater that sits over 500 people at the MegaPlex 12 at the Galaxy located downtown.

When you are looking for destination options for your next incentive travel program, you may want to consider adventure travel. Adventure travel has taken the travel industry by storm and is a hot trend among families, couples, groups of friends and companies looking for exciting team building, incentive travel or executive retreat options.

Examples of adventure travel include:

• Mountain climbing
• Rock climbing
• Trekking across the desert on camels
• Cave exploration
• SCUBA diving
• Going on a safari
• Spending a week or a weekend at a dude ranch
• Storm chasing
• Backpacking
• Camping
• Exploring ancient ruins in a rainforest

There are many reasons to consider adventure travel for your incentive travel winners, including offering a unique vacation experience that they may never otherwise have the chance to experience. One additional reason why more companies are opting for adventure travel is that most options include an underlying team building component. This makes this type of travel beneficial to both the employees and the company overall, making it a more enticing option.

If you decide to opt for adventure travel as a reward for your company’s incentive program, always keep in mind that it is extremely important to choose options where everyone can participate. Low-key adventure travel, such as whale watching or bird watching is not as physically demanding as other options and may be a good choice for some companies.

You are a corporate event planner that is darn good at your job and can put together a topnotch conference, team-building experience, executive retreat or upscale gala with one hand tied behind your back. But, what do you do when one of your best clients suddenly asks you to plan his wedding and you have no experience or connections in this niche? Before you start to panic, take a moment to consider the connections you already have and how you can use your corporate event and travel planning skills to plan a wedding that will impress your client and go off without a hitch.

The thought of finding an appropriate venue for the ceremony and reception, ordering floral arrangements, planning a menu, finding a wedding DJ and reserving accommodations for all of his out of town guests may not seem like a simple task, but with one simple decision you can make wedding planning a breeze, even if you have never planned this type of occasion before now.

By convincing your client that a luxury cruise is the answer to his wedding planning needs, you will slide right back into your comfort zone and will be well on your way to successfully including wedding planning into your current skill set. A cruise wedding is a convenient way to take care of catering, venues, accommodation, entertainment, flowers and décor in one simple step, and is a luxury option that will truly impress your client and make him think you put endless hours into getting everything just right.

To make your wedding cruise planning even easier, visit Seasite.com and use the convenient group cruise planning tools available. You just might find that it is time to add wedding planning to your list of offerings.